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The men's lifestyle market is set to suffer a Saint Valentine's Day

massacre in the latest round of magazine ABCs.

The figures for the July-to-December period, released this Thursday,

will show dramatic losses across the sector, with the market leader FHM

expected to suffer a year-on-year loss of about 10 per cent. Dennis

Publishing's Maxim may fare even worse, while the normally buoyant Front

is expected to decline significantly after several periods of rising

sales.

Loaded is the only lads' title expected to emerge unscathed,

outperforming the market at the end of Keith Kendrick's first year in

the editor's chair.

In the women's lifestyle market, Marie O'Riordan is another editor

giving IPC reason to celebrate, after reversing the losses suffered by

Marie Claire in last summer's ABC figures.

The National Magazine Company's Company is also expected to recoup its

14 per cent drop in circulation during the summer after lowering its

price to £1.50.

There will be more good news for NatMags at the top of the sector, where

Cosmopolitan is set to maintain its position in the week of its 30th

anniversary.

With Conde Nast's Glamour settling down from last period's 451,486, the

original exponent of girl power is likely to extend its market

leadership.

The women's sector should bring a smile to faces at Emap, with New Woman

breaking through the 300,000 barrier and Red expected to significantly

outperform BBC Worldwide's Eve at the senior end of the market.

Among women's weeklies, Heat will break through the 350,000 mark as it

continues to make up the ground behind OK! and Hello, which have failed

to gain much benefit from the heavy sampling practised last time

around.

IPC's Now has overcome a circulation blip, associated with price rises

during the period, to continue its own climb.